Roll wrapping machine



OCL IS, 1932. J, p, ALDRICH ET AL 1,882,695

ROLL WRAPPING MACHINE Filed Dec. 12, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 18, 1932. J. P. ALDRICH ETAL I 1,882,695

ROLL WRAPPING MACHINE Filed Dec. 12, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 QUQUQJQ Patented Oct. 18, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN 1?. ALDRICH AND HOWARD MORRIS, OF- H.OLEDO, OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO TEE AUTOMAT MOLDING & FOLDING COMPANY, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO ROLL WRAPPING MACHINE Application filed December 12, 1930. Serial No. 501,857.

This invention relates to wrapping machines, but more particularly to machines for Wrapping articles in relatively thin flexible sheet material, such as parchment paper.

An object of this invention is to produce a simple and efficient machine for automatically wrapping cylindrical articles, such as rolls,

- or cylinders of butter, oleomargerine, or other materials of similar plastic or semi-plastic nature, with flexible sheet material, such, for example, as parchment paper.

A further object is to produce a machine I of the above character having the new and 1 sheet and the endless belt for imparting rolling motion to the material and the associated elements for holdin the wrapping material in the proper position, and for folding the enlcirs of the wrapping material against the t Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view showing the roll delivered into engagement with the wrapping material;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view partly in section showing a roll, about which is wound the wrapping material and the folding shoes for folding the ends of the wrapping material against the roll;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of the sheet or parchment feeder; and I roll.

The illustrated embodiment of the inven Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a wrapped ticularly adapted for wrapping one-pound rolls or cylinders of butter, or the like. This machine is adapted to receive the unwrapped rolls at one end and discharge them from the other end completely wrapped. The rolls are moved successively into engagement with the wrapping material, which is preferably wider than the length of the rolls, and thereafter by a rolling action the wrapping material is wound about the roll. Further rolling motion is imparted to the rolls, and during their movement the wrapping material, which projects from opposite ends of the roll, is automatically folded in against the opposite ends of the rolls to complete the wrapping operation.

Referring particularly to the drawings, the machine comprises a standard 10 having a table 11. Mounted on one end portion of the standard is an endless conveyor 12, which is trained respectively about the sprocket wheels 13 and 14. The .conveyor 12 carries a series of wooden blocks 15, which are formed with inwardly curved recesses 16 to retain a roll R of the material to be wrapped. Above the table 11 guide panels 17 are arranged on opposite sides of the conveyor 12,

[as each roll R reaches the end of its advancing movement, it is engaged by the surface block .19 and advanced to the guide 20 where it engages a duplex wrapping sheet W.

The wrapping sheet W consists of a pair of sheets of parchment paper connected together by portions cutout or extruded from the body of the sheet, which are pressed against the surface of the sheet, as will be hereinafter explained. Rising from the table 11 isa frame 21 carrying rolls 22 and 23 of the sheet wrapping material. The webs from the rolls 22 and 23 are fed downwardly to gether past a sheet feeding and severingmechanism S, which draws the wrapping material'22 and 23 downwardly, and intermittently operates to sever the material into the desired lengths. The sheet feeding and severing mechanism S forms no part of the present invention, and detail description thereof is not considered necessary. Suflice itto say that a pair of feed rolls 24 feed the material to severing rolls 25, which are operable intermittently to sever the sheet into segments and draw-off rolls 26,, preferably operating at a greater peripheral speed than that of the feed rolls 24 for drawing oif or discharging the severed segments.

Before the webs 22 and 23 reach the sheet feeding and severing mechanism S they pass over a driven roll 27, from which project a punch 28. In the, rotation of the roll 27 the punch 28 strikes or extrudes from the webs 22 and 23 a pair of tabs 29. Arranged in the path of movement of the tabs 29 is a blade member 30, which is engaged by the tabs,

and operated to fold the same against the outer surface of the web 23. The rolls 24 press the tabs 29 against the web in order to hold the same'in place. The webs are severed in such a manner that each severed segment includes a pair of sheets, which are held together in the manner above explained so that the individual rolls R are wrapped in a multiply wrapper, the constituent parts of which are retained in properly assembled relation.

- The duplex wrapping sheets W drop from the sheet feeding and severing mechanism between guide plates 31 into a position substantially as indicated in Fig. 2. The rolls R, in passing from the conveyor 12 to the actuator or pusher arm 18, are guided by a spring pressed finger 32. The arm 18 pushes the rolls individually into engagement with the wrapper sheets W, and advances the roll and its sheet a short distance along the guide 20 and beneath the lower run'of an endless belt 33 which passes around spaced rolls 34 and 34 and over a belt tightener roll 35. The guide roll 34' is mounted on a frame 36*,

which is supported by brackets 37 mounted on the table 11. The bracket 37 also provides a mounting for the roll 34.. The rear end of the frame-36 is supported by a collar 55 loosely mounted on the frame 21. The collars 55 (it being understood that the frame 21 includes a pair of uprights spaced laterally from each other) are supported by coil springs 56 suspended from stationary collars 57. It will be understood that opposite ends of the shaft for the roll 34 rest on the upper portion of the collars 55. This provides a resilient mounting for the rear end of the frame 36, and permits the latter to swing about its pivotal connection with the brackets 37. It is apparent that adjustment of the collars 57 enable the rearward end of the belt 33 to be raised or lowered in order to accommodate articles of different size. As will hereinafter appear, the advanced end portion of the guide 20 is adjustable fordifferent sized articles.

The lower run of the belt 33 travels to the right in Fig. 3, and imparts a rolling motion to the rolls R, and it will be apparent that after a roll, with its respective wrapping sheets W, is advanced along the space between the lower run of the belt 33 and the guide 20, the rolling action imparted to the rolls winds the wrapping sheets W there around. The duplex wrapping sheet W is preferably of suflicient length that when wrapped about the roll R the ends overlap each other, as indicated in Fig. 4. In order to hold the lower end of the duplex sheet against the roll R a finger 36 is pivoted to the guide 20 at 37*, and a coil spring 7 0 holds the finger in upright position in the path of movement of the roll R. The finger 36 swings downwardly when engaged by an advancing roll, but after the same has passed over it the finger tends to return to its normal position, and in doing so retains the end of the duplex wrapping sheet W against the roll R in order to insure that the ends of the wrapper W overlap each other.

In order to establish the desired frictional engagement between the belt 33 and the roll, plates 39 and 40 rest against the upper surface of the lower run of the belt, and by :virtue of their weight eifect the desired frictional engagement. The plates 39 and 40 are provided with centrally arched portions 41, through which loosely extend rods 42 and 43 respectively.

After the wrapper W is wound about the roll R the outer end of the wrapper is held against unwrapping by a curved spring con- -trol finger 44, which is disposed in the path of movement of the articles, and depends from a suitable bracket 45 on the adjacent plate 40. A coil spring 46 is connected at one end to an extension 47 of the arm 44 and at the opposite end to the adjacent plate, and serves to retain the finger in thedesired position.

Thus, as the rolls R roll along the guide 20.

the spring finger 36 first retains the inner end of the wrapper W in engagement with the roll, and thereafter the spring control finger 44 engages the opposite overlapping'end of the wrapper W, thus preventing unwrapping thereof. s

As above explained, the width of the wrapped sheets W is greater than the length of the rolls R, and the ends of the rolls engage the sheets in such a manner that substantially equal portions of the wrapper project beyond opposite ends of the roll. These projecting ends are folded against the adjacent ends of the rolls R by aseries of stationary shoes 48, which are arranged in succession on opposite side of the guide. As shown, sets of four folding shoes are arranged on opposite sides of the guide 20. These shoes progressively increase in size from the rearward to the forward ends thereof, the larger shoe having a plate extension 49 for holding the folded wrapper ends in position. Each shoe is provided with a curved cam surface 50, which is engaged by the wrapper W. It will be obvious that as the roll R with its respectiye wrapper W rolls along the guide 20 the pro ecting wrapper ends are gradually folded in against the opposite ends of the roll, so that after passing the last shoe 48 the ends are folded in in the manner shown in Fig. 6. After the wrapped rolls pass the last folding shoe 48- they are delivered to a guide 51 having side panels 52. The wrapped articles are removed from the guide 51 "and boxed or cartoned in any desired manner.

The guide 20 is pivotally mounted'adjacent its rear end at 53, and a coil spring 54 urges the front end thereof upwardly.- This enables the guide to accommodate articles of different sizes. For larger articles the guide 20 may be somewhat depressed to accommodate them, and for smaller sized articles the guide 20 is urged upwardly by the spring 54 in order to maintain the desired frictional engagement with the belt 33.

The operating parts of the machine are driven by a single electric motor 58, which is connected by a belt 59 to a sheave 60. The roll 34 for the belt 33" is suitably driven by a sprocket and chain, connection 61 deriving its power from gearing disposedin a ear box 62, the latter being suitably driven rom the sheave 60. A sprocket and chain connection 63 is connected to drive the sheet feeding and severing mechanism S and the punch roll 27. A sprocket and chain connection 64 serves to drive the conveyor 12.-

A cam 65, carried by a bracket 66 depending from the table 11 and driven by a sprocket and chain connection 67, recurrently actuates the actuator arm 18, the lower end of which is fixed to a shaft 68. Also fixed to the shaft 68 is an arm 69 which engages the periphery of the cam 65. As shown in Fig. 3, a coil spring 70 urges theactuator 18 to operative position so that the cam 65, through the connection described, serves to return the actuator or pusher arm 18 into position to receive a roll from the conveyor 12.

While the form of mechanism here shown and described is admirably adapted to fulfill the objects primarily stated, it is to be ill understood that it is not intended to confine disposed table along which rolls are advanced, means for feeding a sheet of relatively thin flexible material in position to be en aged by a roll, a feeder arm having a curve rollengaging face for advancing an article into engagement with the sheet, an endless belt disposed above said table having the lower run thereof substantially parallel thereto, a pair of plates resting upon the upper sur face of the lowerrun of said belt to establish frictional contact with the rolls on said table, a finger adjacent the delivery end of said table for holding a sheet against a roll when the latter is delivered to said table, spring meansnormally holding said finger in upright position, a curved arm in advance of said finger adapted to engage a wrapped roll to prevent upfolding of the sheet, spring means for normally holding said arm in po sition to be engaged by a roll, and two series of longitudinally spaced folding shoes arranged one on each side of said table for engaging the projectin ends of a sheet progressively as the roll is a vanced along said table, said shoes increasing in size from the delivery to the discharge end of said table, and each shoe having a forwardly curved cam folding surface.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto signed our names to this specification.

'JOHN P. ALDRICH.

HOWARD A. MORRIS.

the invention to the one form of embodit ment herein disclosed, and it is susceptible In a roll wrapping machine, a horizontally 

